Antwerp researcher Rosa Rademakers has won the Breakthrough Prize in the US — one of the world’s most prestigious science awards. Rademakers received the prize and more than 2.5 million euros for her groundbreaking discovery that a rare genetic mutation plays a key role in both frontotemporal dementia and ALS.
Europe has long positioned itself as a global leader in life sciences. With world-class research institutions and a steady pipeline of scientific breakthroughs, that claim is well founded. But at the heart of the ecosystem, there is a growing disconnect. Is Europe equipped to build and retain globally competitive companies, or is it just a generator of innovation for others to scale?
Biodol Therapeutics is aiming to ease the burden of chronic pain for millions of patients around the globe. The company is developing a unique new drug with a dual function: a non-opioid standalone treatment for neuropathic pain or migraine, but also a combination therapy with opioids. By reversing opioid tolerance, Biodol’s compound eliminates the need for higher doses, making these powerful drugs safer and more effective at alleviating suffering.
• Fund+ portfolio company Tubulis will be acquired by Gilead for an upfront payment of USD 3.15 billion, with up to USD 1.85 billion in additional milestone payments
• Tubulis’ next-generation ADC platform includes its clinically validated linker-payload technology
• The acquisition includes Tubulis’ lead asset TUB-040, a NaPi2b-targeting ADC for ovarian cancer and other solid tumors
Farmers rely heavily on chemical fertilizers to boost crop yields, but this approach comes at a cost to soil quality, biodiversity, and plant fertility. Soil microbes may provide greener alternatives to help plants grow better under tough conditions like drought by triggering faster growth and earlier flowering. The intended result? Improved crop yields when water is scarce.
With the rapid rise of Chinese biopharma, this ‘new kid on the block’ has gone from baby to behemoth on the world stage. This powerhouse of innovation and industry is now turning heads in both the US and Europe, having transformed from copycat to top dog in the space of just a few years. How has China done it, and what can Europe do in response?
Insect pests are a major cause of quality and economic losses in agriculture. Due to policy constraints that aim for a greener future, the use of general pesticides is being phased out, and a push towards species-specific pesticides and biological control methods is being promoted. But these methods require the pest species to first be identified, which is costly. AI could help speed up this process, thus reducing costs and helping us push towards a greener tomorrow.
The most visible — yet often overlooked — parts of an innovative ecosystem are the buildings that house research and development activities. Far more than just office space, these physical foundations facilitate the translation of lofty ideas into tangible solutions for society. Kadans Science Partner is one of Europe’s foremost providers of this specialized infrastructure, with a unique community-minded model.
BioVox spoke with Sara Van Overmeire and Annie Renders of Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) about the origin and role of spearhead clusters. VLAIO is the Flemish government’s point of contact for all entrepreneurs in Flanders. It relies on Biovia and other spearhead clusters to bring companies together and support them in setting up innovative projects.
Venture investing in early-stage companies hinges on spotting transformative technologies before they become hyped. To support this, we built the MeSH Counter: an R-based tool that tracks monthly frequencies of specific terms in PubMed, allowing us to visualize trends in the life sciences. Publication trends are not the same as investment signals, yet the MeSH Counter can help efficiently map the research landscape, so investors can prioritize deeper, human-led diligence.
Antwerp researcher Rosa Rademakers has won the Breakthrough Prize in the US — one of the world’s most prestigious science awards. Rademakers received the prize and more than 2.5 million euros for her groundbreaking discovery that a rare genetic mutation plays a key role in both frontotemporal dementia and ALS.
Europe has long positioned itself as a global leader in life sciences. With world-class research institutions and a steady pipeline of scientific breakthroughs, that claim is well founded. But at the heart of the ecosystem, there is a growing disconnect. Is Europe equipped to build and retain globally competitive companies, or is it just a generator of innovation for others to scale?
Biodol Therapeutics is aiming to ease the burden of chronic pain for millions of patients around the globe. The company is developing a unique new drug with a dual function: a non-opioid standalone treatment for neuropathic pain or migraine, but also a combination therapy with opioids. By reversing opioid tolerance, Biodol’s compound eliminates the need for higher doses, making these powerful drugs safer and more effective at alleviating suffering.
• Fund+ portfolio company Tubulis will be acquired by Gilead for an upfront payment of USD 3.15 billion, with up to USD 1.85 billion in additional milestone payments
• Tubulis’ next-generation ADC platform includes its clinically validated linker-payload technology
• The acquisition includes Tubulis’ lead asset TUB-040, a NaPi2b-targeting ADC for ovarian cancer and other solid tumors
Farmers rely heavily on chemical fertilizers to boost crop yields, but this approach comes at a cost to soil quality, biodiversity, and plant fertility. Soil microbes may provide greener alternatives to help plants grow better under tough conditions like drought by triggering faster growth and earlier flowering. The intended result? Improved crop yields when water is scarce.
With the rapid rise of Chinese biopharma, this ‘new kid on the block’ has gone from baby to behemoth on the world stage. This powerhouse of innovation and industry is now turning heads in both the US and Europe, having transformed from copycat to top dog in the space of just a few years. How has China done it, and what can Europe do in response?
Insect pests are a major cause of quality and economic losses in agriculture. Due to policy constraints that aim for a greener future, the use of general pesticides is being phased out, and a push towards species-specific pesticides and biological control methods is being promoted. But these methods require the pest species to first be identified, which is costly. AI could help speed up this process, thus reducing costs and helping us push towards a greener tomorrow.
The most visible — yet often overlooked — parts of an innovative ecosystem are the buildings that house research and development activities. Far more than just office space, these physical foundations facilitate the translation of lofty ideas into tangible solutions for society. Kadans Science Partner is one of Europe’s foremost providers of this specialized infrastructure, with a unique community-minded model.
BioVox spoke with Sara Van Overmeire and Annie Renders of Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) about the origin and role of spearhead clusters. VLAIO is the Flemish government’s point of contact for all entrepreneurs in Flanders. It relies on Biovia and other spearhead clusters to bring companies together and support them in setting up innovative projects.
Venture investing in early-stage companies hinges on spotting transformative technologies before they become hyped. To support this, we built the MeSH Counter: an R-based tool that tracks monthly frequencies of specific terms in PubMed, allowing us to visualize trends in the life sciences. Publication trends are not the same as investment signals, yet the MeSH Counter can help efficiently map the research landscape, so investors can prioritize deeper, human-led diligence.